Processing systems, also known as processor platforms, commonly include a processor or central processing unit (CPU), a memory (e.g. a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, a main memory, a mass storage device, etc.), and a cache among many other system components and/or hardware (e.g. interface cards, input/output (I/O) devices or peripherals, etc.). The CPU and the cache may be collocated on a same semiconductor chip or device. The CPU may locally store data from the memory into the cache.
Direct memory access (DMA) is a feature of processing systems found in many computing devices (e.g., personal computers, tablet computers, mobile devices, etc.). DMA operations allow certain hardware components (e.g., DMA controllers), interface cards, peripherals, etc. of a processing system to access a memory of the processing system independently of the CPU. The CPU may initiate a DMA operation, and a DMA controller executes the DMA operation, while the CPU continues other operations.